March 6th, 2016

Burano and Murano are two, separate series of islands connected by bridges. They are found in the Northern end of the Venetian Lagoon. Murano is famous for its glass-making and Burano for its lace and colorful houses. These two islands are a treat for the eyes!  We used most of our second day in Venice exploring these northern gems.

To reach the islands, we took a Vaporetto (a water bus) from our neighborhood “bus” stop. We waited on the dock until the right boat pulled up. The boats go in different directions so you need to be attentive to the direction and route you want to take. What a unique and fun way to travel…especially for two, young boys!

Our first stop was the island of Murano, famous for its glass making. Due to the risk of fires, all the glass makers in Venice were moved to Murano in 1291 and have prospered there ever since. We went to a free, glass making demonstration at one of the studios shortly after we reached the island. We learned how glass makers start off as apprentices for about ten years to learn the trade. If at that point, they show talent, they are selected to continue to refine their skills, work and eventually become a master glass maker. The host spoke in multiple languages. The presentation was both informative and entertaining. We watched glass jars and animals form before our eyes!

To demonstrate how hot the glass still is after its been sculpted, the host held a piece of paper against a newly sculpted horse. The paper immediately went up in flames!

Afterwards, we walked around the island.

We spotted a statue of a lion holding an open book on a pillar near a bridge. This became a game for us over the weekend. The lion represents St. Mark and the open book is indicative of a time of peace. We also found lions with closed books which signaled a time of war. The boys became very adept at finding and interpreting these sculptures. We also kept our eyes out for other works of art too.

We eventually found our way to another water bus dock and caught a Vaporetto to Burano. We bundled up as we stood on the deck to take it all in. There were heated cabin areas to ride in but the views weren’t the same!

How I love getting to travel with Mein Mann!

Burano is perhaps the most colorful place we have been to thus far! According to legend, its homes were painted in bright colors for the resident fishermen to find their houses in foggy conditions after a long voyage at sea. Fishing is Burano’s traditional industry. It’s also known for its lace that dates back to the 16th Century when the women of the island began making lace with needles. This handmade process is time-consuming and thus VERY expensive.

Walking around Burano was a like being in a Crayola Crayon box of 64 colors! What a visual treat! The boys and I stood against the blue house (below) for a picture. Seconds later, the gentleman who lived there walked up, smiled at us and walked in. hee-hee =)

Colors, colors EVERYWHERE!

After strolling through the neighborhoods, we asked a shopkeeper if she could recommend a good place for us to have lunch. She told us where all the locals go. We were thankful to get a table!

We headed back to the main island of Venice as the sun was setting in the sky…beautiful!

We walked the lively streets back to our apartment, stopping for a couple of fun souvenirs for the boys.

Since we made a purchase, I asked if I could take pictures in the mask store and the shop owner happily agreed. The walls were covered!

On Monday morning, we packed up and took our last Vaporetto ride to catch our bus (one that drives on roads) to the airport.

Our trip was short but memorable!

Ciao Italy! We hope to see you again soon!

March 5th, 2017

Happy March dear family and friends! I can’t believe Spring is just around the corner. We are kicking off the opening of our B&B at the end of this upcoming week with the arrival of our first guest…Aunt Grace! A week later, my parents fly in! We are excited to see extended family again!!!

Back in January, when we were in the throes of winter, we enjoyed a quick weekend trip to Venice. We got an incredible deal on Ryanair allowing the four of us to fly for under 100 Euros! Of course, we later figured out why you can fly to Venice so cheap in January…it is COLD!!!! However, Venice is still beautiful and charming…

…just layer up in January!

Our trip started off with an “extended stay” at the airport as we waited out a regional snowstorm for about seven hours…not the most ideal way to kick things off but we were grateful we still got to go. After we landed at the Treviso Airport, we caught a bus to Venice and then rode the Vaporetto (a water bus) to the neighborhood where our apartment was. Navigating public transportation is always an adventure!

We were pleasantly surprised when we heard Mein Mann’s name called out as we stepped off the boat. The woman who owned the apartment we were renting decided to meet us there, instead of the apartment as we had initially planned. She walked us to our weekend home-away-from-home and spent time explaining the neighborhood and the ins and out of our apartment. She was so kind and we were relieved to be cared for after the craziness of our travels. We lost a day of sight-seeing but we made it!

The historic centre of Venice is made up of islets and canals in the shape of a fish. It is divided into six districts, called sestieri. We stayed in Cannaregio where most of Venice’s actual residents reside. This quiet neighborhood was away from the more crowded, tourist hot spots yet had easy access to the water buses. Our apartment sat along a canal with a beautiful church nearby.

With the gift of a full day to see the sites of Venice, we layered up (long johns and all) and ventured out. Here are our highlights…

The Rialto Market

We enjoyed walking around the various food stalls where Venetians have come for their daily supplies of fish, vegetables and fruit since 1097. The boys enjoyed the incredible variety of seafood on display. When some of the stall keepers saw the look of amazement on the boys’ faces, they brought out a shark for the boys to hold for a photo-op! The Italians love children and are often so gracious in their treatment and interactions with families.

Birarria La Corte-Lunch Break!

This pizzeria in an old brewery in Campo San Polo made for a great pitstop to warm up and get refueled for the afternoon.

The Rialto Bridge

This marble bridge was completed in 1591 and is the oldest of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal of Venice. Without anchors in the middle, this single span bridge is considered an architectural marvel of the Renaissance Period. There is actually shops on the bridge! Its one of the most popular tourist spots and thus VERY crowded…even in the off-season. The view down the Grand Canal makes it worth the crossing!

Riding in a Gondola

This thirty-minute ride through the small canals was our splurge of the trip. The ride was so peaceful as we glided past homes, businesses, historical buildings (like Marco Polo’s childhood home pictured below), hotels, and more. Our gondolier shared interesting tidbits about Venice, his trade and his family. We enjoyed this memorable ride with the added bonus of warm blankets!

Libreria Alta Aqua-“Library of High Water”

This eclectic bookstore is a must-see for book lovers! The entire collection of books is kept safe from flood waters by being stored in bathtubs, water-proof containers and even a full-size gondola. We enjoyed perusing the different rooms that are literally stacked wall-to-wall with books, magazines, maps and more. Outside, you are invited to climb the book steps to enjoy the view of the canal. Inside, a friendly cat greets you at the check-out. Purr-fect! =)

Piazza San Marco…Pigeons!

Though we were surrounded by some amazing architecture, the pigeons were the highlight of this piazza for the boys and will be remembered for years to come! We were amazed by the sheer volume of birds found here. Out of curiosity, we followed the crowds to the center where birds were landing on folks with outstretched arms. We quickly found ourselves becoming pigeon perches! Men approached us and poured bird seed in our hands to encourage our avian friends and then insisted on payment. What?!! It turns out it’s actually illegal to feed the pigeons. Police quickly shooed the birdseed men away with their presence as they did their rounds through the piazza. I was just grateful we didn’t need to clean off any bird poop. Please pass the hand sanitizer!!!!

Sunset over Venice

We watched the sun make its slow descent towards the horizon as we made our way to our water bus station and rode back to our neighborhood for the night. The boys worked on putting together evening entertainment as we prepared dinner back in our apartment. They put on a play about a gondolier and a cat…of course!

Buona Notte! (Good Night in Italian)

January 29th, 2016

We have seen more snow in the month of January then we did last winter! On January 2nd, we received our first snowfall to the boys’ utter delight! The freshly fallen snow left a thin blanket of white over the plants and the yard. It was beautiful!

Mein Mann had the day off from work so all three of them were outside playing in it for hours! I saw sleigh rides, snowball fights, the startings of a snow fort and even a replica of the Zugspitze (Germany’s tallest mountain that we went to the top of last May).

The following Tuesday, we got some SERIOUS snow! We were surprised the boys did not get a snow day or an early release. I went for a walk through the snow-covered trails with one of my friends from our village. A snow-shoveling session completed my workout for the day!

The boys showed me this snowman that was built on their school grounds.

S made his own snowman in the backyard using our snowman kit. They definitely enjoyed the winter wonderland we found ourselves in for a few days!

On January 6th, the Epiphany (when Jesus received a visit from the three kings) is celebrated here in Germany. I was REALLY looking forward to it after learning last year of the meaning behind the cryptic letters I saw above so many door frames which I wrote about it in this post: https://www.germanyjournals.com/?p=1390. This year, I had prepped the boys, set aside our donation and waited. When the day came and went without any visitors, I was disappointed. We were so ready!!! Thankfully, the next morning (which fell on a Saturday) the doorbell rang. When I looked out the window, I saw children wearing crowns and an adult accompanying them. “They are here!” I shouted. The boys were excited and so was I.

Our visitors sang, accepted our donation (they were collecting money to help children in Kenya) and asked if they could put a sticker on our door to remind us of their visit. Then, off they went! I love these beautiful traditions that help draw our attention to the Sacred. It was also helpful to know what was going on since it was all done in German.

In other news…

~On January 4th, our oldest got one of his front teeth pulled by the “Tooth Counter” (a.k.a. our Dentist).

This tooth reminded me of our son…determinedly stubborn. It was chipped, had a small abscess, resisted wiggling and was knocked into a backward slant a couple of months ago when E accidentally hit into his teacher’s knee during carpet time. He earned a recognition for being brave that day at school by keeping his composure as tears filled his eyes. I had hoped it would have fallen out but it STILL hung in there! An x-ray showed the adult tooth waiting to come in. So, our dentist put some numbing gel around it, gave it a couple of serious tugs while “checking on it” and out it came. However, it held on until the end and did not make an easy exit out of E’s mouth. He was quite the trouper, staying in his chair and enduring it all. But, oh the tears…

Here is a “before shot” as we waited for the dentist to come and check things out…smiling but nervous.

Here is our lil man afterwards. I was really proud of him for the way he handled it all. We went and got ice cream per the doctor’s orders! E was excited to hear the currency rate goes up for a tooth pulled out by the Dentist than one that falls out on its own accord. The next morning, he showed us a 2 Euro coin that appeared under his pillow.

~We saw Shrek the Musical!

As a gift from their Dear and Pop Pop, the boys received theatre tickets for Christmas. They also got a collared-shirt to wear to the show performed in English at a community theatre.

What a fun night! Afterwards, the audience was invited to come on stage and get pictures with their favorite characters. Both boys picked the dragon!

~ The Blender Incident

Our kitchen wall near the sink is stained with smoothie remnants after a frozen banana knocked the top right of the blender! Our walls, curtain, countertops, floor, my clothes, body…you name it…was hit with flying smoothie! I literally had juice dripping down my nose. Oh the clean up! Our white walls absorbed the color at an alarming rate, thus leaving them stained and in need of another paint job. Mein Mann was home at the time and came running. He tried to capture the moment though its hard to see due to lighting. You can try to click on the picture for a better view. At least, I still got to drink a little smoothie!

~The Prayer Cube

Sometimes at dinner, we roll our prayer cube. I found this little treasure in a Catholic shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico years ago. (Do you remember that store, Mom?)  Last week, S rolled the cube and we recited this prayer…”God, bless this food we are about to receive! Give bread to those who hunger, and hunger for charity and justice to us who have bread! Amen.” The depth of this prayer felt very timely in light of current events. On Tuesday afternoons, our family sits at tables with German nationals and refugees who have fled their homes and countries with children the same ages as our boys. Statistics are transformed by personal stories. This prayer is taking on new meaning…

January 28th, 2017

Ringing in the New Year is quite the experience in Germany. I think its equal parts excitement, thrill and madness! Being our second year here, we weren’t taken by surprise at the utter craziness that seems to dominate this typically quiet and structured society one night a year. Having survived our first New Years Eve, we felt much more seasoned and even decided to participate a bit this time around.

Fireworks can be purchased all over the place, including our village grocery store. Milk? check. Yogurt? check. Fruit? check. Fireworks? check! We picked up sparklers, snappers, and a few small fireworks during the last week of December. Some of the displays we saw were rather large and the names on the packages were quite humorous (or honest)! The “Pyro Family” pack anyone?

Mein Mann REALLY wanted to get something bigger but the thought of possibly blowing up body parts made me completely leery, especially when the directions are all in German. I was pretty adamant that we should stick to the smaller stuff. He eventually found a box-shaped firework on one of his trips to the grocery store and went with the philosophy …“It’s better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.” It looked to have several small fireworks inside with a fuse on the outside. He also purchased a long-tipped lighter to practice fire safety…our middle ground!

We invited our friend, Liz and her three-year old daughter to our house for New Years Eve. We played games, the kids watched movies, we chatted away the hours and ate. We didn’t expect the kids to actually stay awake until midnight so we lit sparklers earlier.

We also used up our stash of snappers and smaller fireworks.

As midnight approached, we began to hear fireworks fill the sky. To our surprise, all THREE kids were still awake! The chocolate brownies I made that evening might have played a part in keeping them going. As the clock ticked down the remaining minutes of 2016, we bundled up and headed outside with our noisemakers. 2017 came in with a BANG!!! The sky was lit up in all directions and the church bells were joyously ringing in the New Year. It was AMAZING (and a little scary)! When Mein Mann lit the box firework he purchased, we were shocked to see the number of fireworks that shot out, how high they went up into the sky and the size of the explosions. We BOTH wished he had gotten more!

Click on the following link to see a short video I took. A firework exploded right over our heads at the beginning that completely surprised us…thus my screaming! You’ll hear the church bells too!   IMG_5300

We enjoyed the numerous, neighborhood fireworks shows and celebrated to our hearts content! It was sooooo…much…FUN!!!!

Things didn’t settle down in our village for at least an hour, with remnants of celebrations lasting much longer. The adrenaline rush pulsed through our veins for a while enabling our boys to stay up longer than ever before. We were shocked! They were quite proud of themselves…before they passed out that is!

We spent the first day of the New Year at home…what was left of it after sleeping in! We played our new game, Beat the Parents, from Grammy Julie (Thanks Grammy!). Notice how our boys like to use their own game pieces. Ha, Ha!

The boys also asked for a new car track on the rug. We’ve been using painter’s tape tracks for years and I love that they still enjoy it!

The next day, Mein Mann brought home a Neujahrsbrezel for us all to share. This traditional treat is slightly sweet and thought to bring good luck and prosperity if it’s the first thing you eat in the New Year. We didn’t learn this until later so it was not our first meal of the New Year but that’s okay. We already feel so fortunate to have each other, for our family, the incredible community we have of friends near and far and getting to live here in Germany.

I now have one-hundred posts that capture the roller-coaster ride we buckled ourselves in for when we said “yes” to this adventure. Thanks for checking in on us here and encouraging us along the way. May your New Year be full of gratitude, happiness, joy, love, and peace.

In this New Year, may we all welcome the foreigners in our midst because it is REALLY HARD to be the stranger. Strangers come with stigmas no matter where you are. Receiving a smile, a kind word (even when spoken in another language) or an offer to help goes a long way…further than you might think. Faces and hands that welcome you in foreign lands are unforgettable. Trust me.

Frohes Neues Jahr (Happy New Year!)

January 27th, 2016

Have you ever seen the Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast? I was a big fan of the soundtrack! “Tale as old as time,
Song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast. Off to the cupboard with you now, Chip. It’s past your bedtime. Goodnight, love.” =)

Some say that Colmar, France inspired the movie version of Belle’s home village. With its colorful houses, lovely canals and cobblestone streets, it is counted amongst one of the best-preserved historical towns in all of eastern Europe. We saw it in the winter and found it charming and quite enchanting. I can only imagine what its like in Spring and Summer when flowers are in bloom!

Colmar hosts five Christmas markets within walking distance of each other during the Christmas season. One of the markets, number five, is dedicated to children. Though Christmas markets are a unique experience, we have found that they can start blending together into a sea of outdoor stalls and endless mugs of Glühwein. To not overdo the experience and burn out our kids, we picked four different markets to attend over the month of December, wrapping it all up with Colmar. It was the icing on the cake.

Colmar is only about two and half hours from our home in Germany making it an easy car ride. When we drove into France on December 22nd, Europe was freshly grieving the tragedy of the attack at the Berlin Christmas Market a few days earlier that had left twelve dead and fifty-six others injured. The suspect, who was believed to have driven a stolen truck into the stalls, was still at large. There was a somber feeling crossing over the French border and being stared at by heavily armed guards. We had our passports ready but were not asked to show them.

Once we got to Colmar, I quickly took note of the various cement blockades and parked, security vehicles that were intended to secure the entrances into the pedestrian zones. There was also a noticeable presence of police walking amongst the crowds. It was both comforting and somewhat eerie. I figured out exit strategies in my mind, stayed more alert to the happenings around me, gave the boys the “stick-together” talk and then decided to enjoy the opportunity we had to be in France. We try to not live in fear but be smart…as my Dad often encourages me to do. So, off we went on foot to experience Colmar.

The boys loved riding the “horses” at the Children’s Market and getting blasted by snow (soap bubbles).

They also enjoyed riding the ship that covered kids in a shower of bubbles. I love the excitement captured in these moments…

As dusk turned into night, we went in search of dinner options. Christmas lights filled the trees and dangled between buildings. What a festive feeling!

After enjoying a couple of more rides, we called it a night and headed to our hotel room that had four single beds calling our names.

The following morning, we ate breakfast and headed out on foot once again to do some more exploring.

We walked through the Eglise des Dominicains. This Dominican church contains beautiful stain glass windows dating back to the fourteenth century. In 1807, the church was converted to a granary and the windows were gradually taken down. Some were stored for safe keeping in another Colmar church while others were carried away by an Austrian commanding officer during the Allied Occupation of France. The windows were recovered, restored and repositioned in the church between 1920-1927. It amazes me that these windows made it back “home” after all of this! They depict various themes including the twelve apostles, scenes from the life of Christ and stories from the New and Old Testaments.

Bakery windows outside of the church enticed us to come in and order an early lunch. We enjoyed some amazingly, delicious Quiche and then returned for some sweet treats a little later! I’m often impressed with the creativity of Europeans in how they use their space. This little bakery had an upstairs seating area where we could look down through wooden beams to see the first floor serving/baking area.

 

 

 

 

January 26th, 2017

Ladies and gentlemen, we have an EIGHT YEAR OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It amazes me how quickly he went from this…

to THIS!    ***Blink***

Since the Christmas/winter break fell over E’s birthday, we started the celebrations early. He made a list of eight people he wanted to join him at an indoor play area after school on December 16th. He included a few friends from school, a couple from our village, his first grade teacher (from last year) and our neighbors. I loved the variety! E also asked for a pirate ship cake from Mama’s Bakery (a.k.a. my kitchen). Pinterest came in handy as I attempted this new feat. Well, Pinterest and A LOT of frosting!

When we arrived at the play gym, table 9 was set up for us with a placard and some basic decorations. We were pleasantly surprised with the affordability of this German venue and the ease of throwing a party there. We were not obligated to use their concessions but instead brought all of our own food, treats and decorations. E also got a birthday token to use in their “store” to pick out a Birthday treat. I’m grateful for fun, indoor options for our December baby!

Our sweet neighbors…

E’s INCREDIBLE first grade teacher whom he adores. She was so kind to come and stay for the party!

What a gift it was to celebrate our lil man-in-the-making with a wonderful group of people!

When E’s actual Birthday rolled around, he was too excited to let us sleep in though we insisted he let his brother keep sleeping! It was sweet watching him open his gifts from family near and far. Thanks to all of you who sent something in the mail…not necessary but appreciated and enjoyed!

A little later in the day, when daylight was actually shining through the windows, we took the boys outside to surprise them with a basketball hoop and a second ball for lil S to play along with.

We celebrated as a family with another, simpler cake from Mama’s Bakery.

In the next week, more packages arrived in the mail (from his Aunt MaryBeth who never forgets, E’s Madrina Peggy and the boys’ Grammy Julie) which lovingly extended the celebration. Again, THANK YOU all!!

I captured these moments when Grammy’s package was opened…

They loved playing with the fun packaging. Even Adi got into it!

Eight is my favorite number; has been for years. Now, we have an eight year old in our house and I still can’t believe it. This boy continues to keep me on my toes while holding my heart-strings around his growing fingers. I will forever be grateful for the incredible way his story intersected with mine and continually reveals the graciousness and power of our God. Please pray for E as he navigates the waters of childhood cross-culturally and for Mein Mann and I as we seek wisdom in parenting our lil spitfire. When I look at our E, I still get glimpses of that baby that was entrusted to us eight years ago. I’m also reminded that he belongs to God. Oh, how we love him!

Happy Birthday E!

January 25th, 2016

Frohes Neues Jahr (Happy New Year)…twenty-five days late! =)

Holidays, traveling, and school-breaks did not afford me much time for blogging. I had planned to catch up once the boys went back to school. However, my computer screen did something that only a techie, computer person could fix which landed my laptop at the German repair shop for almost two and half weeks. We just picked it up on Monday. It’s so fun to finally be back here in this virtual space. Hey-dee-Ho friends and family!!

After a month-long break, this picture happy girl/family has a huge backlog of pictures and memories that I would LOVE to share every detail about…that won’t be happening. Instead, I’m going to attempt to catch up in a handful of posts as I try to clump events together and share the highlights. As always, thanks for checking in and following our lives here in this foreign, yet now more familiar, land of Germany.

So here are glimpses into the Christmas Season and how we celebrated throughout the month of December…

Decorating our Christmas Tree

A family from our church moved to the Netherlands in the Fall. Before leaving, they passed on their Christmas tree to us. It had a slight tilt but we made it work and enjoyed how festive it made our living room.

A Visit from St. Nick

The boys polished their boots and put them outside on December 5th. I was out that evening and loved coming home to the site of boots by the front door. The following morning, the boys were SO EXCITED to find their boots full of treats!

S’s Fussball Gift

All the children on S’s village soccer team received an engraved jacket and workout pants as a Christmas gift from the organization. Their coach handed them out at one of the December practices. S loves wearing his!

Christmas Traditions

We counted down the days to Christmas with our advent “wreath” (a wooden spiral with holes for a candle and a carving of Mary on a donkey), daily readings from the Advent Storybook, opening windows on the Advent calendar my Mom sent the boys that tells the Christmas story without giving them more candy (trust me, they get a ton over the holidays!) and also reading different Christmas stories every night from our own collection and books we get from the library. I love each of these traditions and the familiarity they bring over the years.

Adi’s Holiday Antics

Adi enjoyed laying on and clawing up wrapping paper, attacking ribbons, pulling out the tree skirt each time I fixed it, pulling ornaments off the tree and chewing on branches. Good thing we love her and can tolerate her kitty-craziness. She’ll turn two at the end of January!

Christmas Markets

We were more strategic this time around in selecting specific Christmas markets we wanted to experience. We picked a couple in Germany and also drove to Colmar, France (more on that trip in another post). One Saturday, we went to Johanniskreuz in the Palatinate Forest to attend an eco-friendly Christmas market that focused on sustainability. We unexpectedly bumped into our pastor, his wife and son while we were walking around. A treat!

Another Saturday, we relied on trains, ferries and our feet to experience the Market of Nations in Rüdesheim where more than twenty nations from five continents are represented. We walked from our house to the train station where we took a train to Bingen. We then walked from the Bingen train station to the ferry landing where we took the ferry across the Rhine to Rüdesheim and walked some more. We repeated our journey in backwards order that night. We walked almost six miles alongside our fun modes of transportation!

The market was worth it! We tasted some international flavors, picked up a couple of gifts and enjoyed an awesome rendition of Feliz Navidad. (We did not purchase the ear mufflers the boys tried on though they definitely got a kick out of them!)

Seeing Santa at Polar Express Night

The boys’ school hosted this fun evening event that included crafts, dinner, popcorn, hot cocoa and the movie “Polar Express.” E was very excited to talk to Santa about his Christmas list while S was more hesitant at first. He eventually came around and had his own conversation as well.

Trips to the Package Window!

We all got excited when a yellow slip showed up in our mailbox telling us to come to the package window! We were loved on immensely by family and friends who sent Christmas gifts, cookies, and Birthday gifts for our oldest who was born four days before Christmas. I also got excited to receive Christmas cards! Thank you to all who remembered us in so many special ways!!!

Christmas Eve 

We attended our church’s Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It was simple, beautiful and moving. As we sang Silent Night in German, I was filled with gratitude once again for this opportunity to live here in this season of our lives. When we came home, we took a family picture by the tree before opening one gift.

Christmas Morning

Our oldest could not WAIT to open presents and thus ended our sweet slumber early that morning. I was amazed how quickly our living room was taken over with wrapping paper, boxes and presents! We received several thoughtful and fun gifts.

Brightening Up a Rainy Day!

The boys both got umbrellas for Christmas this year. We put them to good use the day after Christmas as we took a family walk around our village. Colorful umbrellas add an extra dose of happiness on rainy days!

With a year of living here in Germany under our belts, we now say, “Remember last year…” as we walk through the seasons. Isn’t it amazing how much can change in a year? How much WE change and grow in a year? The boys physical growth is right before our eyes. Personal growth is not always so obvious or measurable. December held reminders of our growth as we remembered the previous year. Through it all, I see the faithfulness of our God to walk alongside us. Thankful!

December 19th, 2016

(still catching up here at the Blog…I’m so behind but back at it after the Holidays!)

Our trip to Valencia, Spain was over a month ago, yet I can still remember the taste of Paella…AaaaMAZING! (sung in at a high pitch). It’s the third largest city in Spain, birthplace of Paella, home to Europe’s largest aquarium, bordered by an extensive green space with a HUGE Gulliver Park, full of street art and supposedly the keeper of the Holy Grail (the goblet Jesus drank from at the last supper). Who knew??? The day we arrived, the King and Queen of Spain were visiting Valencia and were expected in a procession a short distance from our apartment. If we hadn’t had two STARVING kids (according to them) that were unraveling due to their hunger, we might have stuck around to see royalty. Oh well! As my friend Amy reminded me, we did get to see the Pope.

We spent three days taking in this coastal city. A fantastic public transportation system coupled with travel planning and lovely weather enabled us to experience the historical and modern aspects of Valencia; inland and ocean. Though we saw a lot of sites, Valencia does not have a tourist vibe in November. We felt like we got a genuine feel for both the culture and life.

Since I am sooo behind in my blogging, I’m going to sum up our trip with our Top Ten of Valencia Sites and Experiences. These are in no particular order as that will take even MORE time to figure out! =)

1. Staying in the Neighborhood

Mein Mann found us a fantastic apartment through Bookings.com in the Ciutat Vella (old city). Since a church was on one side, the owner told us that if we wanted to pray all we needed to do was reach out and touch the wall. Good to know!

2. Plaza de la Virgen

The fountain in the plaza was once the city’s forum. The boys LOVED chasing pigeons here! We returned one evening looking for takeout pizza and enjoyed a conversation with a woman who was studying Spanish in Valencia.

3. Las Torres de Serrano

We climbed to the top of one of the two remaining gates still standing from the original wall that enclosed the Old City. Built at the end of the 14th Century, it was considered the main entrance into Valencia.

There were see-through areas in the floor that reminded us of the Eiffel Tower. You could also see people walking through the gate down below. We walked (and ran) from one side to the other!

4. The Street Art…including La Casa de Los Gatos (The House of the Cats)

Street Art abounds in the district of El Carmen, one of the oldest in Valencia. We specifically went looking for the La Casa de Los Gatos. This small house was built in 1904 in memory of four cats who stayed in the Barrio del Carmen that year. It was a nice stop for this cat-loving family though we didn’t see any feline tenants to the disappointment of our boys!

5. Seeing the Mediterranean Sea

When we arrived, we noticed this incredible sand castle on the beach! The boys RAN to the water and then “attempted” to not get wet while we dipped our fingers in and took some fun pictures.

6. Paella

The owner of our apartment recommended a fantastic restaurant to order Paella along the boardwalk at the beach. This ancient rice dish is a serious party for the taste buds! The appetizers that accompanied our meal were some of the best dishes we have eaten since we arrived in Europe. They set the stage for the gigantic skillet of Paella that was set before us and quickly disappeared!

7. Valencia Cathedral and El Micalet (the cathedral’s bell tower)

On a rainy morning, we sought refuge under the ornate ceilings of this beautiful church. We walked around listening to an audio tour. What a great way to engage kids! In a side room, we found the Holy Grail. There was a circular wheel of bells nearby with a rope hanging from it that enticed Mein Mann to ring. The sound was beautiful. The boys then followed suite, of course. Before we knew it, a stern guard showed up and this Mama was left to apologize in Spanish for my curious family!

A spiral staircase with 207 steps led us to the top of the bell tower. Mein Mann and our youngest were up at the top when the bells rang out. Our oldest and I were still in the staircase and the sound was deafening in there. I held my hands over E’s ears. The views from the top of the tower were awesome! You could even see how the cathedral was built in the shape of a cross.

We unexpectedly caught a short performance by some Spanish Dancers outside the cathedral.

8. Oceanographic

This is Europe’s largest aquarium with inside and outside exhibits and a wonderful dolphin show (think Sea World). S put a sea-lion in a trance with his little finger; training it to do multiple circles and drawing a crowd! E loved seeing all the SHARKS!!!!

9. Arts and Sciences Museum

The boys absolutely LOVED the children’s exhibit where they joined the work crew to “build” a house! Several other exhibits also caught their attention allowing hours to simply vanish in this fantastic museum.

10. Gulliver Park…Here is an image I got from the web to give you a feel for how large this guy is! There is even a satellite image on the web. It’s THAT big!

We read a children’s version of Gulliver’s Travels in anticipation of going to this amazing park created by the Valencia’s Fallas artists. Our boys LOVED being the Lilliputians as they climbed up the ropes around Gulliver and slide down his jacket. Then they would run up his leg, across his chest and slide down his hair. Mein Mann and I joined in the fun too…how could we resist?! We stayed until the sun set and the outside lights turned on!

We met a family from our home town at this park. We recognized the name of a store on their bag and inquired about it. Sure enough, they were from the same city we were! They were living in Valencia for six months, had enrolled their kids in the local school system to be immersed in Spanish and were planning to sail around the world come Springtime!

We quickly become HUGE fans of this WONDERFUL city and would recommend it to ANYONE! Its full of good vibes!

December 18th, 2016

Here is a captured moment from our morning today…

It’s a chilly Sunday afternoon here in our neck of the German woods. Mein Mann and E are at a Cub Scouts meeting (a new venture) while our youngest and I are enjoying some down time at home. We were invited to a church service in our village by a woman I met a couple of weeks ago. She told me there was going to be a children’s program today that would be nice for our boys. Lil S was excited to see the one girl who plays on his fussball team singing up front. Though the service was in German, we were warmly welcomed by many and even had a few conversations with those willing to practice/use their English with us since our German only gets us through beginning pleasantries.

I’m finally pulling up the Blog again after taking an unscheduled hiatus for a couple of weeks. I was starting to get caught up on my posts and then fell REALLY behind again! Life got busy with the start of the holidays, decorating, school commitments, an early birthday party for our almost eight year old, Christmas shopping, Post Office trips, Christmas Markets, fighting colds and more. I know we are not alone in the fullness of this season. Hopefully, at some point, I will share some highlights. The boys are officially on Christmas Break for the next couple of weeks. We plan to celebrate E’s Birthday this week, take a short overnight trip to France and be back in our home to celebrate our second Christmas in Germany.

The holidays already have a cozier feel this year…starting from Thanksgiving. A sense of home and community make a tremendous difference alongside the familiarity that comes with time. We are grateful!

We enjoyed an early Thanksgiving celebration with friends in our village. My friend, Amy, opened her home and set a beautiful table to welcome all of us. I treasure these women and enjoyed seeing our kids play together and our hubbies connect. An amazingly delicious dinner was the added bonus!

We flew out on Thanksgiving morning to Valencia, Spain. Instead of turkey, we ate an insane amount of jamón (ham)  for lunch that day after getting confused with the menu and ordering more food than we realized. We learned the hard way what tapas are and what they aren’t. Oh, the adventures of travel! That just adds to the memories though, right?! As we ate our Thanksgiving ham, we got serenaded by the outside musicians who sang our youngest to sleep right at the table.

More on Valencia soon…

Adiòs!

November 23rd, 2016

If you look at a map, the country of Luxembourg sits to the west of us, just under Belgium and above France. It hasn’t been a big contender on the Bucket List…actually, it wasn’t even on it. However, being able to drive into Luxembourg City in about two hours made it all the more inviting to do a little exploring for an overnight trip over the weekend of November 12th-13th. We didn’t find much to do in Luxembourg City but found the quaint town of Vianden a treat!

We drove into Luxembourg City on Saturday afternoon and immediately found the Place de Jeux Publique. Our boys were absolutely delighted to climb in and out of every nook and cranny of this AWESOME pirate ship park. It’s no secret that we are BIG fans of the parks in Europe. We can now add this sweet place to our long list of outdoor havens built for children. Well Done Luxembourg!

Luxembourg was still in the midst of their Autumn colors. Since Germany was on the tail end, it was wonderful to extend the season a bit longer!

The boys and I enjoyed playing with the tire swings. It was such a chilly day that moving around was good for ALL of us!

We offered to stop by the park again on our way back in order to coax the boys away from this fantastic park!

Setting out on foot, Mien Mann used his Google Maps to navigate us through the downtown area of Luxembourg City. We past the Place de la Constitution where Christmas markets were getting set up for the holiday season.

We stopped in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, originally a Jesuit church, that was consecrated in 1621. The boys continued their habit of lighting candles and praying.

We strolled through the downtown area, stopping in a bookstore, a little piazza and a café for a warm snack.

On our way back to the park, we passed a lively, Dutch band playing in the streets. We think there was a soccer game because we saw a lot of fans dressed in orange. Can you see the man wearing the orange, wooden shoes in the second picture? I’m wondering how comfy and warm those are. He seemed quite content so who knows?!?

That evening, we drove about an hour to Vianden and experienced the unforgettable St. Martin’s procession that I wrote about in the last post. Remember the fireballs?! The boys cuddled up to their Daddy that night for their bedtime stories.

The next morning, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at our hotel. We later found out it was included in our room rate. A pleasant surprise we were not expecting.

As we were packing up, the boys watched German cartoons. I couldn’t help but notice all the languages (Luxembourgish, German, French, English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish) offered on the TV! Many folks in Luxembourg are at least tri-lingual. They speak Luxembourgish, German and French. We met many that also spoke English!

It was wonderful to see the town of Vianden in the morning light before heading up to Schloss Vianden.

The Vianden Castle dates back to the 10th century and is one of the largest fortified castles west of the Rhine. Its perched high on the mountain overlooking the town. At night, the castle is illuminated by lights…very pretty! The castle was slowly restored during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and has an authentic, refurnished interior that gives insight into the lives who inhabited it. For example, we noticed how small the bed was. As we listened to the audio tour guide, we learned how people preferred to sleep sitting up in those days because only the dead laid down. Alrighty then. Good to know! We even came across the castle cat who fell asleep on Mein Mann’s lap and drooled.

Thankfully, the fees to explore the castle were very reasonable. We paid 12 Euros for our family since S is still free plus a couple of extra euros for an audio guide in English. S saves us a lot of money at the magical age of five!  We took a self-guided tour through the various rooms full of cannon balls, armor, furnishings and local brew. The architecture was beautiful!

Here is a chest showing an intricate lock…highlighting the skills and trademarks of the local locksmiths.

The castle had its own chapel. The family attended the service in the upper room where the altar was. The middle of the room had an opening to a bottom level. Towns people listened to the service from this lower chamber. E is standing in the remains of the downstairs portion.

A large collection of Rembrandt’s sketches were on display in a couple of the rooms. I’m so glad we got to see them! We were struck with how this renowned artist captured so many aspects of humanity and divinity within his art. The boys enjoyed using the small magnifying glasses provided to get a closer look and find things we pointed out in the pictures.

Castle exploring eventually lost its appeal and the boys’ fun meter pegged out (as my Dad would say). Thankfully, a fun cafe was open for us to enjoy a relaxing lunch. The Ancien Cinema Cafe-Club in Vianden has a kids’ play area along with a huge screen where they show old cartoons. We watched Tom & Jerry while we ate!

Luxembourg is such a quiet, country neighbor. We don’t hear much about it. However, it’s a pleasant drive and we found a few gems during our visit. We would like to return someday and explore a Nature Park we read about in an area called petite Suisse (Little Switzerland). It looks beautiful in the travel book!

Until next time…Äddi! (Goodbye in Luxembourgish)